Oar for rowing in weeded waters



Jan. 10, 1961 F. A. WILLIAMS OAR FOR ROWING IN WEEDED WATERS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 INVENTOR. P16 517 H-MLLH VF OAR FOR ROWING IN WEEDED WATERS Fred A. Williams 476 S. Firestone Blvd., Akron, Ohio Filed Dec. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,719

Claims. (Cl. 9-24) This invention relates to substantially oars for rowing in weeded waters, and, more particularly, it is concerned with means to be attached to the shank of an oar opposite the handle instead of the customary oar blade, and which will facilitate the rowing of a boat with oars through weeds and the like.

Any fisherman is familiar with the fact that fish often lie back in relatively heavy weeds or in pockets of open water in beds of weeds. But to get back into the weeds with normally bladed oars is a relatively diflicult operation, and the average fisherman will avoid rowing through heavily weeded waters.

Additionally, in relatively shallow lakes the weed growth is often such that weeds growing along and out from the shoreline will cut off cottages from the lake to the extent that it is necessary to row awkwardly through the weeds with standard bladed oars before an outboard motor can be operated.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of a relatively simple, inexpensive, easily operated oar which can be effectively used in rowing a boat through or over weedy waters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pivotally mounted float and blade combination at the outer end of the shank of an oar and which replaces the standard integral oar plate.

The foregoing objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by the provision of an oar including an inverted substantially circular cup, float means inside the cup for supporting it in an inverted position in the water with the edge of the cup extending a short distance into the water, a blade extending diametrically of the cup and secured thereto and extending down into the water a distance greater than the edge of the cup, and substantially horizontal pivot means secured to the top of the cup in a direction at substantially right angles to the blade,

, said pivot means being adapted to be secured to the shank of the oar opposite to the handle.

The oar may include an oarlock clevis pivotally secured to the shank of the oar between the handle and the cup-shaped member, a horizontal disc and downwardly extending pin on said clevis, a pivot plate for receiving the pin on said clevis and adapted to be secured to the boat gunwale, a laterally extending U-shaped flange on the plate and extending above the disc to hold the oar clevis against removal from the pivot plate but freely allowing swinging'movement of the oar, said disc having a cut-out portion to allow for movement of the disc vertically past the flange when the cut-out portion of the disc is rotated into vertical alignment with the flange.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is a plan view of the improved oar of the invention;

2,967,311 Patented Jan. 10, 1961 "ice Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the oar of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the cup member of the invention with most of the oar shank broken away;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the improved oarlock of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the oarlock of Fig. 4.

In the drawing the numeral 10 indicates generally an oar having a handle 12 at one end and having its oppositely extending shank terminating short of what would normally be the integral blade of the oar, and pivoted at 14 horizontally in a clevis 16 mounted at the top of an inverted cup 18 made of sheet metal, such as aluminum, or of lightweight plastic reinforced, for example, with Fiberglas.

The cup 18 is preferably provided internally with a circular float-forming ring 20 providing a hollow entrapped air space 22 so that the inverted cup 18 will float in relation to the level 24 of water with the edge of the cup extending down into the water a short distance, for example, about one inch. The top of the cup is provided with vent holes 26 to prevent a vacuum from being formed in the inverted cup as it is periodically placed upon and removed from the surface of the water during a rowing operation.

Although not as preferred as the embodiment of the invention just described, the invention also contemplates utilizing the inverted cup 18 itself as a float, eliminating the separate float ring 20 and the holes 26, and making the cup somewhat shallower in vertical height.

Positioned diametrically of the cup 18 at right angles "to the pivotal axis 14 and vertically of the inverted'cup 18 is a fixed blade 28 which is adapted to extend down into the water a distance of between about 2 and about 5 inches, and with the blade 28 extending completely to the top of the inverted cup 18 or to the top of the float ring 20 in the manner illustrated in the drawing.

Associated with the oar 10 is an oar clevis indicated as a whole by the numeral 30, and shown more in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. The oar clevis 30 includes the usual fork portion 32 pivotally supporting the oar 10 on a horizontal pivot 34, and having a downwardly extending vertical pin 36 rotatably received in a hub portion 38 of a pivot plate 40 adapted to be secured in known fashion by screws to the gunwale of a boat. The pin 36 of the oar clevis 30 is provided with an integral circular disc 42 positioned at right angles to the axis of the pin 36, and forming a bearing portion slidable upon the hub 38 of the pivot plate 40.

The hub 38 of the pivot plate 40 is provided with a U- shaped flange 44 surrounding the disc 42 and allowing the disc to freely rotate therethrough, but having a portion of the flange 44 extending above the top of the disc 42 so that the oar clevis 30 can not be lifted vertically out of the pivot hub 38 of the pivot plate 46 during the rowing operation.

An arcuate portion of the disc 42 is cut away, as best seen in Fig. 4, opposite to the flange 44 so that if the oar 10 is rotated through degrees the cut-away portion of the disc 42 is invertical alignment with the flange 44, and the oar clevis 30 and oar 10 can be lifted away from the pivot plate 40, in a manner that will be evident.

In the operation of the apparatus described it has been found that utilizing a pair of cars of the character de scribed in a conventional rowboat that the inverted cups 18 when placed down upon the top of weedy waters ride like a snowshoe on the top of the water with the lower edge of the cup 18 extending down into the water a sufficient distance to get a grip on the water and on any weeds in the water over substantially the entire periphery of the edge of the cup, so that traction is afforded, but with any snarling of the cup 18 in the weeds being avoided.

The ,b1ade28 affords further traction on-the weeds and water, but with the relatively shallow depth of the blade, the rounded corners thereof, and the firm horizontal support afiorded the blade by means of the cup preventing any deep digging of the blade and any real fouling of the weeds in the water on the blade.

Moreover, it has been found that by using the oarlock apparatus of Figs. 4 and 5 that any possibility of the oar pulling out of the oarlock or pivot plate is eliminated, and this is important in rowing operations through weeds that an oar does not leap out of its pivotal gunwale support under the stresses and strains of rowing through particularly heavy or gummy weeds.

While in accord with the patent statutes certain best known embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto or thereby, but that the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in an oar for rowing in weeded waters of an inverted cup-shaped member, float means positioned inside the cup and spaced upwardly from the .edge of the cup, a blade carried diametrically of the cup and extending downwardly from the edge thereof, an oar 'shank and handle, and substantially horizontal pivot means connecting the top center of the cup to the end of the oar shank, the axis of the pivot means being at right angles to the blade.

2. The combination in an oar for rowing in weeded water of an inverted cup-shaped member, a blade ,car

ried diametrically of the cup and extending downwardly from the edge thereof, an ear shank and handle, and substantially horizontal pivot means connecting the top center of the cup to the end of the oar shank, the axis .of the pivot means being at right angles to the blade.

3. An oar for rowing in weeded waters including an inverted substantially circular cup, float means inside the-cup for supporting it in inverted position in the water with the edge of the cup extending a short distance into the water, the top of the cup having holes therethrough, a blade extending diametrically of the cup and secured thereto and extending down into the water a distance greater than the edge of the cup, and substantially horizontal pivot means secured to the top of the cup in a direction at substantially right angles to the blade, said pivot means being adapted to be secured to the shank of an oar opposite to the handle.

4. An oar including an inverted substantially circular cup, a blade extending diametrically of the cup and secured thereto and extending down into the water a distance greater than the edge of the cup, and substantially horizontal pivot means secured to the top of the cup in a direction at substantially right angles to the blade, said pivot means being adapted to be secured to the shank of an oar opposite to the handle.

5. An oar for rowing in weeded waters including a float, a bladeextending downwardly from the float and positioned directly beneath the float in the normal rowing position of the oar so that the blade is supported in rowing position in the water by the float, and a handle having its shank secured to the float in a position lying in the same plane as the blade.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,252,252 Cross Aug. 12, .1941 2,527,040 Swensonetal Oct.124, 1950 2,651,790 Geiger Sept. 15, 195.3 2,655,669 Sehaper Oct. 20, 1953 2,673,992 "White et .al. Apr. 6, 1954 2,693,605 Berlew Nov. 9, 1954 

